3 chapters across the catalog
Conflict with Elliot Abrams and Leaving the CFR
Pieczenik describes a physical confrontation with Elliot Abrams at the State Department after Abrams insulted foreign service officers. He expresses deep contempt for the neoconservative movement and eventually resigned from the Council on Foreign Relations. He characterizes the CFR as a "nursing home" for former officials looking to relive their pasts.
Elliot Abrams, Venezuela Opposition Funding and USAID Grants
Special Envoy Elliot Abrams confirmed that the U.S. government is seeking ways to spend Congressionally appropriated funds to support the "forces of freedom" and the "legitimate government" of Juan Guaidó in Venezuela. The funding is funneled through USAID and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Similar grant programs exist for China, offering between $750,000 and $1.5 million for initiatives promoting human rights and government transparency.
US Special Representative Elliot Abrams warned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not to test the "all options on the table" threat, referencing the fate of Manuel Noriega. The hosts lament the return of "neocons" like Abrams and John Bolton to the administration, arguing they have pushed Trump away from his non-interventionist campaign promises.
